London living with a dog has one exceptional joy and that is access to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, particularly during the months of meteorological misery when one can pretty much have this oasis to oneself.

In the run up to Christmas most working parents will have already planned their Christmas leave, but taking time off is the easy part - what isn't so easy is making sure you have enough things planned that make the Christmas holidays fun for the whole family (especially if this year you're having a 'staycation'!)

There were crowd crushes, there were flares, there were naked guys climbing up towers and there were bloody noses. But aside from all the ominous scenes and injured gig goers that have dogged the headlines since Saturday, The Libertines at Hyde Park was a much needed injection of much-missed rock and roll.

What do you do with your World Cup buzz when England has been knocked out? You take it to Hyde Park to watch the royal oaks sway and Park Lane's billionaire windows get battered by downtuned guitars and drum fills exploding like a 21-gun salute. It's British Summer Time. Scratch that. It's Sabbath Day.

With the summer of sun still going strong, London is LOVING its alfresco dining at the mo. And with the long evenings just still dragging out and slowly merging into that golden Autumnal feel, it's time to make the most of eating outside, before the chill sets in for winter.

Today, an increasingly demanding festival-goer expects no less than this smorgasbord of experiences and activities to choose from. And they certainly won't accept being disappointed. AEG Live, of course, are no strangers to big landmark initiatives, having breathed new life into the Millennium Dome as the O2, now a leading events venue.

London is known for its world-class attractions, iconic landmarks, and topnotch shops and restaurants. It's home to Big Ben, the Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, and the Buckingham Palace, to just name a few. Tourists from all over the world are constantly infiltrating the city and exploring all of these various attractions. However, we know how difficult it can be when narrowing down the most worthy. So we've made it easier for you and have picked the five best London parks that you will not want to miss while exploring the city.

Sunday morning and the three-stop southbound journey from London Victoria to Stockwell is largely unremarkable. Those present, engrossed in their daily newspapers or quietly nattering to neighbours, are dulled to the journey south of the river.

There's a new disease in town and although not deadly or likely to have you laid up in bed for weeks, it's gaining momentum and spreading from old girl to old girl, gay to gay. It doesn't seem to have affected middle aged men, they got over it years ago and teenagers are naturally immune, they couldn't seem to care less.